Pumpkin Tales - Surely tells mouth watering stories!

Pumpkin Tales struck the right chords and how. Located in a quiet little shrub off a by lane in Alwarpet, the place appeals with it's nicely done up interiors. It gives a very good vibe and the alternating colours of orange, yellow and red makes it appear aesthetic. The space is well spread out and there is a sure shot buzz around it. A bakery is perched at the bottom where you get to purchase exotic stuff and in the top tier is the restaurant.

They have an elaborate breakfast menu as well to go on top of the fine dining spread they serve for lunch and dinner. They serve a diverse potpourri of eclectic cuisine touching upon American, continental, European, Singaporean in addition to a large fare of bakery products.

We were here for dinner and began our sojourn with the roasted fennel and tomato soup. This was delightfully done up with an abundance of flavours. Certainly a good way to begin proceedings. The cheese mood was prevalent in our meal and for our appetisers we went with a flat bread pizza and a calzone. The former was a roasted veggie version bunched up with zucchinis, roasted tomatoes, floored up by tomato sauce and consisting of a delectable squishy layer of cheddar and mozzarella. The calzone we tried was one containing spinach, mushroom and mozzarella. This one too was decked up with cheese and it was nice consuming this juicy mix of ingredients and the bread was super smooth.

On the small bite section, we had the garlic sherry mushrooms. These were very nice too with the crunchiness of the garlic going well in tandem with softish button pieces of mushroom and the slightly liquid texture also seemed enjoyable. Apart from this also tried one of their bakery products namely the cheese sticks. This was definitely a good bite to crunch along with the aroma of cheese hitting in hard.

For the main course, we tried the rainbow pasta. This was colourful to look at with a flurry of veggies being part of the fray with cheese smeared in giving it a lovely creamy texture. This was quite rich with the addendum of ricotta cheese, cashews, mushrooms, spinach along with red and yellow pepper making it like a swirl of colours and hence aptly titled the rainbow pasta.

On the dessert side, the display had some enticing creations and we decided to go with cheese cake and not one but two of them. First up the chocolate hazelnut was as lovely as it could get with the mellow of the soft cream with nuts luring you in. And then it was time to test the vanilla and strawberry bean one. This too was top notch and pressed all the right buttons.

On the whole, our encounter with Pumpkin Tales happened to be pretty pleasing. The service was quick witted and our dishes barring the calzone reached our tables well on time. The pricing seems a little high for the quantity served. However the quality makes up for it not making you slouch too much. This was a place of plusses and I would love to check out their breakfast fare quite soon.

Durrants @ Welcome Hotel - Old Fashioned infusing the Yesteryear feel!

The one thing which strikes about this bar is you that you don't find places like this anymore. It is old fashioned and takes you back to the good ol days when how bars actually used to be. It does not swarm you with swirls of colours or attractive wall papers but instead works on the old world charm that is so missing these days.

The decor carries a very woody feel. The seating is laid back and the tinge of yesteryear is inherently visible on them. The surroundings are stacked with antiquities and the lighting is dim with the bar at the center serving all kinds of stuff from scotch to beer to vodka, rum, gin and what not. If you're a person of the past, nostalgia will certainly hit you with feel good memories.

Just that it has not moved on like the way the other newbie pubs have adds credibility and it's lovely to see that they have stuck to tradition. The name Durrants is named after 'Charles Durrant' - Madras Presidency's first wine merchant.

Before our evening meal, we stopped here for some drinks and starters. They have all kinds of liquor available including the imported ones. The best bet however is on the superlative deals they have. This is an area where they are really attractive as the offers are fabulous. Lots of buy one get one's, special discounts, summer quencher deals and many more.

I had a shot at a scotch and beer along with some sumptuous panneer tikka and cauliflower for company. This is also a place where you can ideally spend long hours at your leisurely comfort.

On the whole, an old school bar which happens to possess a vintage charm of it's own.

HuTong - Smearing the aroma!

Hutong greets you with a kicking smearing aroma as soon as you land up at this place. The Chinese aroma is in all its splendor as you get in. The place is shrouded in a peaceful locality in the Seethamal Colony at Alwarpet.

It is a pretty small space with limited seating arrangements. In our recent dinner experience there wasn't anything to crib at all and everything went on expected lines. It's a Chinese outlet and the menu sticks to that.

What really felt impressive is they seem to play their cards close to the chest. They just specialise in what they are good at and that came out very vividly. It's a very selective menu with a few soups, starters, main course and desserts. The mains especially are in the form of bowl where your rice and noodles come with a gravy.

The aromatic veg broth soup contained the requisite veggies and had a very appealing taste. The lotus stem starter was crispy and crunchy. The presence od red chillies and roasted groundnuts certainly elevated it. The mushroom bao buns were decent and I felt it could have been a notch better.

For main course I tried the butter fried veg garlic rice with a blackened veg gravy. It was very good with the rice being really flavourful and the side gravy went along well with it containing tofu, cauliflower and few others. Ended dinner with a refreshing glass of chilled milo which was actually very nice.

On the whole, a really pleasing experience. The rates are really reasonable and absolutely worth the price. The service was quick witted and we got our dishes well on time. In essence, a really lovely Chinese alley down the side of Alwarpet.

Being Beautiful, Winning Beauty Contests and the connection with Aishwarya Rai!

There was a discussion about what makes one to be bestowed with beautiful looks and also on top of that make you win international pageant contests such as Miss World etc which are conducted on a global platform. Looking at it from an astrological POV, obviously the birth chart should have some correlation to suggest someone is breathtakingly beautiful but in addendum to that transits also matter a lot and perhaps even the running dasa period to put that beauty into optimum use and at the right time to win international honours.

The best bet native to study about this is perhaps renowned beauty queen Aishwarya Rai who not only possesses ethereal looks but also managed to win India a Miss World title after a really long period of time. Let's take her case since it's believed that her birth details are kind of accurate.
Birth details are as below:
DOB : 1st Nov 1973
POB : Mangalore, India
TOB : 4:05 AM
Ayanamsa : Raman 22-02-43.86

She is Virgo Ascendant, Poorva Ashada Nakshatra (Pooradam in Tamil) and her 4th house attains dignity with Venus, Moon and Rahu all placed in the fiery dual sign of Jupiter owned Sagittarius. These three planets individually are said to confer exceptional elegance and imagine all three of them sitting together makes her a timeless beauty. One must also notice Venus and Moon sitting in the 4th attains Dig Bal (Power). Her Lagna Lord Mercury is strong and retrograde in 3rd house and we do know she possesses exceptional communication skills.

Now let's come to the actual time when she won the event which took place in Sun City, South Africa on Nov 19th 1994. She had just finished her 21st year and stepping into her 22nd year. Looking at her solar chart 1st Nov 1994 (exact degree of Sun as at birth), you will find that she is Capricorn Ascendant with Mercury/Moon in 9th and Jupiter, Sun, Venus and Rahu combined in 10th house of Libra. And on the date of winning (19th Nov 1994) you'll still find Venus/Rahu together along with her natal Lagna lord Mercury and Sun has moved out of debilitation and closely associated with Jupiter alongside Moon being exalted in Taurus giving rise to an auspicious pournami yoga with the magical rays of Jupiter also overseeing proceedings.

Look at the glorious interplay of God. At birth Rahu/Venus conjunct, 22nd year solar chart also they are conjunct and on the day she won the title also it was conjunct. Moon which talks about the mental make up also attains impression in all these cases and on top of it the Sun was shining brightly coming out of debilitation at the time of her creating history. Her original Lagna Lord Mercury also is super powerful.

The icing on the cake was that the title was won when Moon Maha Dasa (planet in 4th house attaining dig bal in natal chart) and Mercury Antar Dasa (Lagna lord) was running for her. You could even go one step further and say the event happened in her Mars Pratyantar Dasa (8th lord in 8th house giving sudden overnight fame). Hence basically the 3 Magical M's (Moon/Mercury/Mars) working in unity to create world wide success.

Thus, in effect the universe did all it's tricks to make this event transpire. This is just from rasi chart without even going in to the divisional charts.

To cut the long story short, moral of the tale is you need to have the following planets strong for being beautiful and winning beauty contests.
Moon : Mind (Mental framework)
Sun : Grace (Royal radiance as it's a world event)
Venus : Beauty (The primary core for an event of this magnitude)
Rahu : Expansion (To expound the prevailing factors and give overnight success)
Lagna Lord (Mercury in this case) : Desire (The soul which is running towards it's desired path)

Cougar Relationship and the link with Priyanka Chopra!

Cougar relationships have always been viewed with closed lens and more so when an Indian is involved, it always tends to attract the paparazzi. The recent involvement of Bollywood heartthrob Priyanka Chopra with a person more than 10 years her junior was certainly the cynosure of all eyes and got the media into a frenzied overdrive trying to analyse the reasons for her relationship with the happening Nick Jonas, a person of another origin/country and who happens to be a whole decade younger in age.

I was quite curious to rack up her horoscope to see what prompted such a relationship. Thankfully her birth details seem to be quite authentic and seems to tally with some of her traits. Sharing her birth details as per below;
DOB : 18th July 1982
POB : Jamshedpur, India
TOB : 1:30 AM
Ayanamsa : Raman 22-10-01.76

Now let's take a brief peekaboo into Priyanka Chopra's horoscope. First up, her 7th lord is sitting in 5th which clearly indicates a high probability of love marriage. Not only that, you see Venus and Rahu sitting together which accentuates it further and even more so because Venus is in dual sign of Gemini. The trigger of Rahu always tends to create something mysterious and when conjoined with Venus in a dual placement, it's almost as if its been given the freedom to play around. Also if you'd observe Jupiter in the natal chart aspects both Venus & Rahu and incidentally the period from Dec'17 to May'18, Jupiter Maha Dasa/Venus Antar Dasa/Rahu Pratyantar Dasa was only running. It looks very clear that around this period only her love would have blossomed and really come to light. It's quite funny how Vedic astrology seems to show it quite visibly in her horo chart as well :D.

Next up, looking at the dignity of her 7th (spouse). Her 7th lord is conjoined with Saturn. They are also pretty close to each other - Mars and Saturn. So Saturn has the power of giving marriage and not only that he is Yogakarak for both Taurus Lagna and Moon. Now the telling point is check Saturn's 10th aspect on Mercury. It falls exactly where Mercury is located. Both of them are exactly to the dot 24 degrees in their respective signs of Gemini and Virgo. Mercury as a planet has the significance of being a friend and can indicate a younger partner and it emphasizes the fact resolutely in her case. Saturn does also aspect Venus and Rahu but the one on Mercury is the talking point here. Saturn is also 8th from it's Mool Trikona sign giving sudden rise in the form of a strange love (younger partner and also of foreign origin)

Coming to her characteristics in general, Ascendant and Moon together in Taurus gives her a very good personality. Her 3rd lord Moon is placed in the 1st giving her excellent communication skills and making her a very confident person. 2nd is about wealth and you see not only natural 2nd house owner Venus sitting there but also Lord of 2nd and 5th Mercury sitting in it's own sign of Gemini. The house of motherland viz 4th house Sun is afflicted sitting 12 places from itself indicating that she regularly travels and frequently leaves her hometown to foreign destinations. Rahu/Ketu in 2/8 axis isn't great but here also Rahu and Ketu both sit in their respective mool trikona sign of Gemini and Sagittarius respectively. The top rated malefic for Taurus Lagna viz Jupiter is actually weak sitting in 6th place and hence will not be very harmful. Lot of planets attain power in her horoscope and it isn't a phenomenon to see her extremely successful and being the most followed Indian on Instagram.

One more thing to note is about her work and career. You find her 10th lord sitting in the 5th indicating indirectly that work will be somewhat related with creativity and intelligence. You also see Saturn sitting in the 9th Dasamsa (24 to 27 degrees) of even sign Virgo in the South East direction represented by Agni and ruled by Venus. This direction is controlled by Agni Deva and ruled by Venus who is the head of all creative works such as acting, singing, dancing etc. And another wonderful coincidence is that the planet Venus is himself sitting in the odd sign of Gemini in 2nd Dasamsa (3 to 6 degrees) which is also in the South East direction and ruled again by Venus himself. Hence Shukra Guru is playing a yeomen role in elevating her pedestal and indicating that she is in the right kind of profession. Saturn also happens to be the 10th lord in the Dasamsa D10 chart sitting in its own movable sign of Capricorn with Rahu showing a job involved with plenty of travelling.

Focusing the energy on the main topic which is of her relationship and marriage, she is likely to get married in Dec'18. It's magical to see how all the planets are harnessing the spherical energies to show this event in her chart.
Dasa check - current one running is Jupiter MD - Venus AD - Saturn PD from Sep'18 to Feb'19. Jupiter is the most natural benefic and Venus the signifier of an event like marriage and Venus happens to be in trikona to Jupiter. Also Saturn the yogakarak is closely conjunct with her actual 7th lord Mars.
Transit check - Jupiter is now exactly 7th to both her natal Lagna as well as Natal Moon again pointing out imminently that an event of a magnitude such as marriage may take place.

Wishing PC all the very best. She has well and truly been a role model and a great ambassador representing India with a lot of dignity and grace in foreign shores.

The solar lunar atmospheric rise of Kohli!

Virat Kohli's run with the bat over the last year has been nothing short of path breaking and earth shattering. He has accumulated runs in gallons and gazillions and if one looks at his batting graph over the last year, it screams a phenomenal meteoric rise. Seldom has any batsman in any era enjoyed such a pyro technic run in both Tests as well as ODI form of cricket. While his test stats are daunting no doubt but these numbers have been matched in the past by other luminaries of the game but if you take his One Day International performances it's just mind boggling and beyond comprehension. He has electrocuted his way to glory by scoring runs at a razor sharp acceleration and his consistency is truly shell shocking.

This staggering run made me to also link it a bit with his astrological horoscope chart as I was somewhat curious to see how such a histrionic display could indeed be possible. Basically just wanted to see if there was any incentive that indicated the universe was also conspiring to make things happen in such an ecstatic fashion.

Before getting into the astrological stats, lets look at his bounty bag in ODIs and tests studded with diamond engraved shimmerings. I have purely taken into his account the runs he has scored since his last birthday ie the whole of the runs he has stacked up from his last Solar return (birthday) to the end of it which in essence could be attributed to his 30th year (5th Nov 2017 to 5th Nov 2018).

His ODI stats read as per below;
1202 runs in 14 matches out of which 5 of them were not out innings amounting to an unimaginable average of 133.5 runs per innings. This includes 6 three figure knocks of which two of them crossed 150. During this period he also scaled the peak of 10,000 one day international runs joining an elite list of batsman to have done so. Matches span across the period from Feb'18 to Nov'18. (No ODIs were played by India during the period Nov'17 to Jan'18).

The test stats read as below:
1673 runs in 13 tests and 23 innings out of which a single knock was a not out innings tallying up to a very impressive average of 76 runs per innings. This golden period has seen him score 7 hundreds out of which 3 came in back to back consecutive innings. The list also includes couple of double centuries to the kitty. India played 4 series during the period spread over the 12 month period between Nov'17 to Oct'18.

Now lets look at his horoscope chart. He is Sagittarius rising (Dhanus) with the following placements; Saturn in Lagna, Rahu in 3rd, Mars in 4th, Jupiter retro in 6th, Ketu in 9th, Venus & Moon in 10th and Mercury & Sun in the 11th. The current Dasa running for him is Rahu and almost his entire cricketing career has run in tandem with it's Dasa which has been extremely beneficial to him in winning lots of laurels. It's despositor Saturn is placed in Lagna itself. Rahu also happens to co-own Aquarius however the main owner still happens to be Saturn only. 3rd house represents courage, skill, strength, determination etc and Rahu has expounded all these significations which is very much apparent in his case. In Rahu Dasa, the sub Antar Dasa period running is Mercury which also happens to be his 7th lord and it's no surprise that his marriage also happened in this sub period of his 7th lord. Mercury sits 9 places (9th is supposed to be most fortunate house) from Rahu and is said to confer fortunate happenings and that's what has exactly happened.

For sudden exponential success, transits also play a role and hence we shall have a look at his different transit charts.

General Regular Transit:
Here we keep the Lagna and Moon as constants and the other major planets are reckoned from these points. The moon is the most important when seeing transits but the Lagna also has a role because mental and physical presence need to co exist for major events to take place. We mainly assess the strength of Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu/Ketu as these are the ones staying in a sign for a large period of time. Almost over the entire course of this period, Jupiter was transiting in Libra over the natal Sun and Mercury. From Lagna, Jupiter is in 11th enabling him to achieve his desires and also over current antar dasa planet Mercury which is auspicious. Also its presence over Sun gives it royal glory. Also Jupiter and Rahu the ruling Dasa planet happen to be in a trine to each other. Seeing things from Saturn's perspective, it has done one full circle of life (2.5 years * 12 signs) and returned back to its natal position. This Saturn return brings renewed changes and it has happened in the good for him. From natal Moon it's in 4th which isn't very good for comforts and lifestyles but from Moon 5th lord Trikona is Saturn and being in a 4th kendra takes away some of the negativity. Also Saturn both in transit as well as natal position is 11th from the current Rahu dasa which is a highly favourable position. Rahu/Ketu in transit is in 11th and 5th from Moon sign. Rahu already has been doing him wonders in this Dasa and his presence in 11th from Moon and that too taking its own nature has catapulted things in his favour. It has in a way offset the negative placement from Lagna where it's in 8th.

Tajaka Solar Transit:
This is the chart which is gathered by keeping the Sun in its exact longitude as of birth. It's like a new year and a new beginning. The Sun retains its place as per what it is in natal chart but the other planets may have a directional shift. Obtaining his Solar chart for 2017 (30th year starting), his Ascendant is Gemini (Mithuna) with Rahu in 2nd, Mars in 4th, Jupiter/Venus/Sun in 5th, Mercury in 6th, Saturn in 7th, Ketu in 8th and Moon in 12th. The most favourable planet for Mithun Lagna, Venus is sitting very favourably in its own 5th house and hence is very strong. 5th is a very important house for sports & entertainment and a strong 5th lord and house denotes intelligence coming out in full fervour. The Lagna Lord Mercury is in 6th which isn't ideal but even there you find that there is a parivartana (exchange of signs) between Mercury and Mars with some of Mars strengthening qualities falling to Mercury. Also the 9th lord Jupiter and 5th lord Venus are together casting a very auspicious yog and this has really helped him surmount exceeding heights. It is to be noted that the 9th and 5th are generally the most auspicious houses in a horoscope. Hence its interesting to see that his solar return chart was pointing in the right direction.

Tithi Pravesh Transit:
This is another transit chart reckoned from the tithi in which one was born. Kohli was born in the auspicious Eka Dashi Tithi with some remaining percentage. Taking the same Eka Dashi birth tithi with exact percentage remaining in 2017 as at birth, we find that his ascendant is same as his natal Lagna Sagittarius. His Tithi Pravesh chart is as follows; Dhanus Lagna with Saturn in 1st house, Ketu in 2nd, Rahu in 8th, Mars/Moon in 10th,  Jupiter/Venus/Sun in 11th and Mercury in 12th. Here you figure that the house of desires 11th has become very powerful with the presence of Jupiter, Venus and Sun. Imagine Lagna Lord (self), 9th lord (fortune) and 11th lord (desires) all sitting together in 11th granting him herculean power to go about with his duty. The 10th with the presence of Mars is also aiding since in natural kala purusha chart Mars gets exalted in the 10th. So in essence, the TP chart also shows that he would have a very promising year.

Hence all in all, even the stars seem to be aligned for Virat Kohli which has seen him raise his game to unprecedented heights. His natal chart with a strong Dasa and Sub Dasa running in addition to powerful transits, a royal solar year and an auspicious Tithi year has led to a rollicking spree of run adrenalin which has made his 30th year of life extremely memorable.

Virat Kohli Details:
Natal Birth Chart
DOB : 5th Nov 1988
POB : New Delhi, India
TOB : 10:30 AM
Ayanamsa : Raman 22-15-18.74

Match Making - South Indian Format (Jadhaga Porutham)

With regard to matching horoscopes for marriage purposes, moon plays the most pivotal role. There are many different types of matching methods which go under the scanner and the surprising part is that in traditional format of matching, it's the planet Moon and its Rasi which is of supreme importance. All you need to know are basically the Nakshatra (Star constellation) and it's Rasi (zodiac sign). There are 27 Nakshatra's beginning from Ashwini (1) and ending with Revathi (27) and there are 12 Rasi's starting from Aries (Mesha) and finishing with Pisces (Meena).

Mentioned below are the prominent test criteria's for match making. Most astrologers just do this star/rasi match and for that you don't really need to go and examine horoscopes with an astrologer as you can do it yourself. However for advanced matching, definitely a recommended professional should be considered.

One more interesting thing to note is the basis of difference in the methodology of matching between North India and South India. In the North Indian scheme of things, 8 determinants (kootas) are taken into account and each of them are assigned weights ranging from 1 to 8. This will result in a total of 36 and if the overall score exceeds 18 or 50%, it can safely be assumed to be a decent match. In down South of India, usually no specific points are factored and they are generally matched on a scale of 10 to 12 factors with some criteria's given far more importance than the others. Though you find a few criteria's over lapping between the two systems, the computation is marginally different as in Ashta Koot Milan, each of the tests are assigned weights and hence you have different ranges whereas in Jadhaga Porutham that's not the case and most of the test results either point to a 'yes' or 'no'.

This particular post will highlight on the South Indian Jadhaga Porutham format of match making. The North Indian format has already been made as a separate post. Listed below are the 12 main porutham's (tests) considered to assess the compatibility between the bride and the groom. Out of these, the first 10 are the major ones and the last 2 are optionally considered.

1) Dina:
Indication : Good health and prosperity based on counting of Nakshatras
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
In this only the star constellations are taken into account and this technique tests the health and prosperity of the couple based on a counting criteria. The counting is always ascertained from the girl and the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th set of star from the girl is considered to be auspicious. For this purpose, the Nakshatras are divided into 3 sets of 9 stars each. In effect taking the 27 stars in totality, the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th (1+1=2), 13th (1+3=4), 15th (1+5=6), 17th (1+7=8), 18th (1+8=9), 20th (2+0=2), 22nd (2+2=4), 24th (2+4=6), 26th (2+6=8) and 27th (2+7=9) can be taken for matching purpose. There are some further exceptions outlined on top of this but the basic objective is the star of the boy needs to fall in the aforementioned star number counted from the girl. Under this proposition, there will be 15 stars out of 27 that will meet expectations.

- If grooms star counted from bride falls in 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 26th and 27th, then it is very good match (Uthamam)
- If grooms star counted from bride falls in any other position, then it is not a good match (Athamam)

2) Gana:
Indication: Habits, behavior and temperament based on 3 Nakshatra groups
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This method is for determining the temperament between the individuals. Here stars are categorized into 3 sections namely God (Deva), Human (Manushya) and Demon (Rakshasa) and are matched accordingly. The girl's star should be of equal or higher level than the boy for compatibility. For eg. if girls star and boys star both fall under the same category then its considered to be auspicious. If Girls is of God and boys is either of Human or Devil, then also it's considered but the other way round is not considered as a favorable match as the female is expected to possess higher sattwik (pure) qualities than her male counterpart.

- If brides star and grooms star both fall in the same category of Deva, Manusha or Rakshasa gana, then it is very good match (Uthamam)
- If brides star falls in Deva Gana and grooms star falls in either of Manusha or Rakshasa gana, then it is good match (Mathimam)
- If brides star falls in Manusha Gana and grooms falls in Rakshasa gana, then also it is good match (Mathimam)
- Any other case, it is not recommended (Athamam)

3) Mahendra:
Indication : Progeny in family based on Nakshatra counting
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This is required to assess the possibility of offspring(s) in the family and also determining the longevity and bonding of the couple. This is always counted with basis from the girls star and if the boy’s birth star falls in the positions 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 22nd and 25th from that of the girl’s birth star, it is considered to be a happy match. Going by this proposition, only 8 stars out of 27 happen to meet this test criteria.

- If grooms star counted from bride falls in 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 22nd and 25th, then it is very good match (Uthamam)
- If grooms star counted from bride falls in any other position, then it is not a good match (Athamam)

4) Stree Deergam:
Indication : Wealth and Prosperity from Nakshatra counting
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This test tells about the well being, longevity and prosperity between the couple and it is determined by the distance of the boy's star from that of the girl. The larger the distance better is the match. Always take the females star as base and count the boys star from her respective star. If the boys star is more than 13 of the girl, then it is very favourable. But in today's times, anything beyond 7 stars is considered reasonable for matching purpose. For eg if girls star is Ashwini, boys star can be anything from Poosam to Revathi as only then it happens to be greater than the said equation of 7 stars.

- If grooms star counted from the brides exceeds 13, then it is very good match (Uthamam)
- If grooms star counted from the brides exceeds 7, then it is good match (Mathimam)
- If grooms star counted from bride falls 7 stars or below, then it is not a good match (Athamam)

5) Yoni:
Indication : Sexual inclination and physical compatibility based on animal grouping
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This is the method that tests the sexual compatibility of the couple. The nakshatras are categorised into animal categories with each star representing either a male animal or female animal. The matching is done based on different animal traits.

- If bride star is female animal and groom star is male animal, then it is very good match (Uthamam)
- If bride star and groom star are both male animal or female animal, then it is good match (Mathimam)
- If bride star and groom star fall in enemy animal category irrespective of male or female, then its not recommended (Athamam)

6) Rasi:
Indication: Family welfare and prosperity based on 12 zodiac signs relationship
Nakshatra : Not necessary
Rasi : Essential
This is for ensuring a peaceful life between the couple. Both the girls as well as the boys Nakshatra's get tagged under a particular rasi based on the star rising at birth and the points are allotted accordingly based on the zodiac sign compatibility. For good match, the grooms rasi should either be the same or be more than 6 signs away from the bride (except the 8th rasi) ie 1st, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th rasi from brides rasi

- If grooms rasi is in 1st, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th from the brides rasi, then it is very good match (Uthamam)
- If grooms rasi is in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th or 8th from brides rasi, then it is not a good match (Athamam)

7) Rasi Adipathy:
Indication : Mental compatibility, friendship and understanding based on 7 planet lord parameters
Nakshatra : Not necessary
Rasi : Essential
This determines the mental compatibility between the partners and for this the ruler ship planet of the rasis in question is taken into account and compared. The basis of understanding is ascertained from the rasis in which the grooms and brides star fall into.

- If brides rasi and grooms rasi are friendly to each other, then it is very good match (Uthamam)
- If one of either brides or grooms rasi is friendly or neutral to the other, then it is good match (Mathimam)
- If both are enemy to each other, then it is not a good match (Athamam)

8) Vasiya:
Indication : Mutual physical attraction and mental happiness based on rasi compatibility
Nakshatra : Not necessary
Rasi : Essential
This is for estimating the level of mutual physical attraction between the couple. There are certain Rasi's which go along well with the other and if they are matching it is expected to be a good match, if not then the attraction factor is said to be not up to the mark.

- If grooms rasi falls in vasiya (attraction) to brides rasi, then it is very good match (Uthamam)
- If grooms rasi does not fall in vasiya (attraction) to brides rasi, then it is not a good match (Athamam)

9) Rajju:
Indication : Strength of marriage lasting based on Nakshatra body parts
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This is an important criterion to assess how strong the marriage will be and about the health and  livelihood of the couple in question. For this each Nakshatra is linked to a body element and it is recommended that stars denoting same body part should not be matched for marriage to be long lasting. Stars of feet (Ketu/Mercury) indicate instability, stars of hip (Venus/Saturn) denote poverty, stars of navel (Sun/Jupiter) indicate issues of offsprings, stars of neck (Moon/Rahu) indicates problems to bride and stars of head (Mars) indicates problems to groom. For eg Moolam and Kettai should not be matched as they both represent the 'feet' body part.

- If brides and grooms nakshatra don't fall in the same rajju (body part), then it is a very good match (Uthamam)
- If brides and grooms nakshatra fall in the same rajju (body part), then it is not a good match (Athamam)

10) Vedha:
Indication : Hardship in marriage based on Nakshatra constellation
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This is a factor to assess failure, hardship and incompatibility in marriage. For this purpose there are certain stars which are repellant to the other. They are supposed to be enemies and it's advised to avoid stars that are forming vedhai (enemity) to each other. For eg. Ashwini star should not be matched with Kettai and likewise Rohini should never be matched with Swati.

- If brides and grooms nakshatra don't fall in the same vedha (enmity), then it is a very good match (Uthamam)
- If brides and grooms nakshatra fall in the same vedha (enmity), then it is not a good match (Athamam)

11) Nadi:
Indication: Genetic compatibility and heredity based on 3 kinds of Nakshatra groups
Nakshatra: Essential
Rasi: Not necessary
This method computes the genetic compatibility based on the Nakshatra prevalent. The Nakshatra constellations are divided into 3 types of Nadi symbolizing 3 basic qualities of heart beat to test the genetic compatibility. It is advised that the star of the groom and bride should not fall under the same Nadi and this is somewhat similar to Rajju based match. This is however just an optional test of matching in the South Indian scheme and not given as much importance as how its viewed in the North Indian means of matching. For eg Hastham and Sadayam should not be matched as they both fall in Left Nadi, likewise Pooram and Pooradam also isn't a good match because they are in Middle Nadi and similarly Magam and Swati also shouldn't be matched as they both are in Right Nadi.

- If brides and grooms nakshatra don't fall in the same nadi (heartbeat), then it is a very good match (Uthamam)
- If brides and grooms nakshatra fall in the same nadi (heartbeat), then it is not a good match (Athamam)

12) Mara:
Indication: Conceiving ability to bear offspring based on grouping of  Nakshatras into 2 tree types
Nakshatra: Essential
Rasi: Not necessary
This method mainly tests on the ability to conceive and give birth to children. For this purpose, Nakshatras are classified into 2 tree types viz Milky trees and Dry Trees. It is highly ideal if both the girls star as well as boys star come under the ambit of milky trees. It is even beneficial if either one of their stars get assigned to a milky tree.

- If brides and grooms nakshatra both fall in the milky tree group, then it is a very good match (Uthamam)
- If either of brides and grooms nakshatra fall in milky tree group, then it is a good match (Mathimam)
- If both brides and grooms nakshatra don't fall under the milky tree group and are in dry tree group, then it is not a good match (Athamam).

Match Making - North Indian style (Ashta Koot Milan)

With regard to matching horoscopes for marriage purposes, moon plays the most pivotal role. There are many different types of matching methods which go under the scanner and the surprising part is that in traditional format of matching, it's the planet Moon and its Rasi which is given supreme importance. All you need to know are basically the Nakshatra (Star constellation) and it's Rasi (zodiac sign). There are 27 Nakshatra's beginning from Ashwini (1) and ending with Revathi (27) and there are 12 Rasi's starting from Aries (Mesha) and finishing with Pisces (Meena).

Mentioned below are the prominent test criteria's for match making. Most astrologers just do this star/rasi match and for that you don't really need to go and examine horoscopes with an astrologer as you can do the same yourself. However for advanced matching, definitely a recommended professional should be considered.

One more interesting thing to note is the basis of difference in the methodology of matching between North India and South India. In the North Indian scheme of things, 8 determinants (kootas) are taken into account and each of them are assigned weights ranging from 1 to 8. This will result in a total of 36 and if the overall score exceeds 18 or 50%, it can be safely assumed to be a decent match. In down South of India, usually no specific points are factored and they are generally matched on a scale of 10 basis points with some criteria's given far more importance than the others.

This particular post will highlight on the North Indian Ashta Koot Milan means of match making. The South Indian format will be made as a separate post. Listed below are the 8 koota's (tests) considered to assess the compatibility between the bride and the groom.

1) Varna:
Indication : Spiritual compatibility and ego level based on 4 classes
Nakshatra: Not necessary
Rasi: Essential
This is a Rasi based matching tool based on spiritual compatibility/personality and all you need to know is which rasi the prospective grooms and brides star fall into. The rasis are categorized into one of four types (Varnas) and based on that the matching is reckoned.

- If bride is Kshatriya - 1 point given if groom is either Kshatriya or Vipra, 0 for Vaishya and Shudra.
- If bride is Vaishya - 1 point given if groom is either of Vaishya, Vipra or Kshatriya. 0 for Shudra
- If bride is Shudra - 1 point given if groom is either of Shudra, Vipra, Kshatriya or Vaishya
- If bride is Vipra - 1 point given if groom is also Vipra. 0 for Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra

2) Vasya:
Indication : Power equation/influence over one another based on 5 groups
Nakshatra: Not necessary
Rasi: Essential
This is also a rasi based tool to establish the influence the couple has over one another. All one needs to know is which rasi the stars of the groom and bride fall into. The rasis are classified into five groups (Vasyas) and the matching is done accordingly.

- If bride is Chatushpada - 2 points given if groom is either Chatushpada or Keet, 1 for Jalchar, 0.5 for Manava and 0 for Vanchar
- If bride is Manava - 2 points if groom is also Manava, 0.5 for Chatushpada and 0 for Jalchar, Vanchar and Keet
- If bride is Jalchar - 2 points if groom is Jalchar, Vanchar or Keet, 1 for Chatushpada and 0 for Manava
- If bride is Vanchar - 2 points if groom is Vanchar or Jalchar, 0 for Chatushpada, Manava and Keet
- If bride is Keet - 2 points if groom is Keet, 1 point for Chatushpada, Jalchar and 0 for Manava ,Vanchar

3) Tara:
Indication : Health aspect and well being based on 9 groups
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
In this only the star constellations (Tara) is taken into account and this technique tests the health and well being of the couple based on a specific criteria. The 3rd, 5th and 7th Nakshatra from each of boy and girl is considered to be inauspicious. For this the Nakshatras are divided into 3 sets of 9 stars each. In effect taking 27 stars in totality, the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 12th (1+2=3), 14th (1+4=5), 16th (1+6=7), 21st (2+1-3), 23rd (2+3=5) and 25th (2+5=7) aren't considered to be good. Whichever Nakshatra is rising at birth that is taken as the Janma Nakshatra and counting proceeds in same manner for both bride and groom.

- Counting from bride and groom, if for both of them it does not fall in the set of 3,5,7 then 3 points
- Counting from bride and groom, if for one of them alone it falls in the set of 3,5,7 then 1.5 points
- Counting from bride and groom, if for both parties concerned the respective others Nakshatra falls in set of 3,5,7 then 0 points (This condition will be void as it's not practically possible for both bride and groom's star to appear 3,5,7 from each other)

There is a fundamental flaw in the third distinction and that situation can never arise as the group total comprises of an odd number (9). So effectively counting from one side if it is even, counting from other side it has to be odd and vice versa. The maximum scenarios of counting from bride and groom can be in ratio of 1/1, 2/9, 3/8, 4/7 and 5/6. If it is in the former two categories 1/1 or 2/9 then 3 points allotted because series of 3,5,7 is not touched for either of bride/groom whereas if it falls in the last three categories namely 3/8, 4/7 and 5/6, 1.5 points shall get allotted since 3,5,7 series will be touched from either of bride/groom counting even though the offset count will happen to be an even number.

4) Yoni:
Indication : Sexual inclination and physical compatibility based on 14 animal groups
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This is the method that tests the sexual compatibility of the couple. All one needs to know is the stars of the groom and bride. The 27 stars are grouped into 14 categories of animals and the matching is done based on it.

- If both bride and groom are of same animal group, then maximum 4 points,
- If both bride and groom are of friendly animal group then 3 points
- If both bride and groom are of neutral animal group then 2 points
- If both bride and groom are of enemy group then 1 point
- If both bride and groom are of sworn enemy group then 0 points

5) Graha Maitri:
Indication : Mental compatibility, love and friendship based on 7 planet lord parameters
Nakshatra : Not necessary
Rasi : Essential
This determines the mental compatibility between the partners and for this the ruler ship planet of the rasis in question is taken into account and compared. The basis of friendship is ascertained from the rasis in which the grooms and brides star fall into.

 - If two lords are the same or they are friends, 5 points are given.
 - If one lord is friendly and the other is neutral, 4 points are given.
 - If both lords are neutral, 3 points are given.
 - If one lord is friendly but the other views it as an enemy, 1 point is given.
 - If one lord is neutral but the other views it as an enemy, 0.5 point is given.
 - If both lords consider each other as enemies, 0 points are given.

6) Gana:
Indication: Habits, behavior and temparament based on 3 Nakshatra groups
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This method is for determining the temperament between the individuals. Here stars are categorized into 3 sections namely God, Human and Demon and are matched accordingly.

- If bride is Devata, then 6 points if groom is also Devata, 3 points for Manushya and 1 for Rakshasa
- If bride is Manushya, then 6 points if groom is also Manushya, 5 points for Devata and 3 points for Rakshasa
- If bride is Rakshasa, then 6 points if groom is also Rakshasa, 0 points for Devata and Manushya

7) Bhakoot:
Indication: Family welfare and prosperity based on 12 zodiac signs relationship
Nakshatra : Not necessary
Rasi : Essential
This is for knowing the family welfare and financial prosperity. The counting of rasis is done both from the brides rasi to the grooms rasi as well as from the grooms rasi to the brides rasi. The entire set of combinations that are possible are 1/1, 7/7, 2/12, 3/11, 4/10, 5/9, and 6/8. Based on the combination obtained scores are allocated.

- If the rasi count disposition from bride and groom results in 1/1, 7/7, 3/11 or 4/10 series it is auspicious and 7 points granted
- If the rasi count disposition from bride and groom results in 2/12, 5/9 or 6/8 series it is inauspicious and 0 points granted

8) Nadi:
Indication: Genetic compatibility and heredity based on 3 kinds of Nakshatra groups
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This method computes the genetic compatibility and is given the most weightage of all. The Nakshatra constellations are divided into 3 types of Nadi symbolizing 3 basic qualities of Vapha (wind), Pita (bile) and Kapha (phlegm) to test the genetic compatibility. It is advised that the star of the groom and bride should not fall under the same Nadi.

- If bride star falls in Adi Nadi, 0 points if grooms star also is in Adi Nadi, 8 points if Madhya or Antya Nadi
- If bride star falls in Madhya Nadi, 0 points if grooms star also is in Madhya Nadi, 8 points if Adi or Antya Nadi
- If bride star falls in Antya Nadi, 0 points if grooms star also is in Antya Nadi, 8 points if Adi or Madhya Nadi

Jupiter Transit Libra to Scorpio 2018!

When seeing transits, we need to see 2 things. Lagna or Ascendant (body) and Moon (mind). Sun (soul) should also be considered but it's at an elevated plane so let's leave that. But there should definitely be a sync between body and mind viz physically and mentally. Just looking at Moon sign alone (mental well being) isn't good enough if physically things don't work out and vice versa. So we need to tweak results based on how effective both are. If both are positive will be excellent, if both negative it won't be good. If one is favorable you can expect mixed results. Apart from Guru (Jupiter), you need to also factor Shani's (Saturn) placement in the scheme of things as it is the planet which stays in a sign for the longest period of time. Ideally even Rahu/Ketu should be considered but since it's going to move in a couple of months time, we can consider it separately later. Just a small breakdown of how long approx planets transit in a sign.

Saturn 2.5 years
Rahu/Ketu 1.5 years
Jupiter 1 year

All others planets such as Venus, Mercury, Sun, Mars transit approx every 1-2 months time and moon moves every 2 and quarter days. That's why we don't ascertain transit for these planets since they are constantly moving.

Now let's see what the zodiac signs point out based on this transit.
Mesha (Aries) Lagna/Rasi : Not good. Jupiter in 8th and Saturn in 9th both which don't seem to be ideally placed.
Rishaba (Taurus) Lagna/Rasi : Mixed. Jupiter in 7th is quite favorable but Saturn in 8th will give stumbling blocks.
Mithunam (Gemini) Lagna/Rasi : Not good. Jupiter in 6th is not favorable and Saturn in 7th is known to cause delay.
Katagam (Cancer) Lagna/Rasi : Good. Jupiter in 5th is auspicious and Saturn in 6th is also good placement especially for competitiveness.
Simha (Leo) Lagna/Rasi : Mixed. Jupiter in 4th isn't bad but Saturn in 5th isn't really favouring things.
Kanya (Virgo) Lagna /Rasi : Not good. Jupiter in 3rd is very weak and Saturn in 4th house of comfort/lifestyle isn't a nice placement to have.
Thula (Libra) Lagna/Rasi. Very good. Jupiter in 2nd house of family/wealth/income is strong and Saturn in 3rd is also helpful.
Vrischika (Scorpio) Lagna/Rasi. Mixed. Though Jupiter is in 1st house which is said to be auspicious but Saturn sitting in 2nd isn't really good. Also last phase of 7.5 yrs Sade Sati is currently undergoing.
Dhanus (Sagittarius) Lagna/Rasi. Not good. Jupiter in 12th in house of losses and Saturn in 1st which indicates peak 7.5 years Sade Sati
Makara (Capricorn) Lagna/Rasi. Mixed. Jupiter in 11th in house of gains and desires is fortunate but Saturn in 12th indicates 7.5 years Sade Sati has started which will bring in some hurdles.
Kumbha (Aquarius) Lagna/Rasi. Very good. Jupiter in 10th and Saturn in 11th. Jupiter in 10th is not supposed to be very favourable and can give changes on professional front. Its kind of a mixed placement but is aided by a strong Saturn placed in 11th which can confer blessings.
Meena (Pisces) Lagna/Rasi. Very good. Jupiter in 9th in house of blessings and Saturn in 10th house of work/profession which seems to be a good combo.

Best to worst from top to bottom:
Meena (Pisces)
Katagam (Cancer)
Thula (Libra)
Kumbha (Aquarius)
Makara (Capricorn)
Rishaba (Taurus)
Vrischika (Scorpio)
Simha (Leo)
Mithunam (Gemini)
Mesha (Aries)
Kanya (Virgo)
Dhanus (Sagittarius)

Rahu/Ketu and Illusions!

There are way too many illusions with regard to Rahu/Ketu and respected authorities tend to disagree with regard to Rahu Ketu aspects, own house, Mool Trikona (office of responsibility) and exaltation/debilitation sign. Attached below is a compendium of the different view points which exist with the respect to Rahu and Ketu.

Rahu/Ketu Aspects:
A) No aspect (Shadow planet and hence said not to have aspect)
B) 5,7,9 (Most commonly held view)
C) 5,7,9,12 (Some believe it has 12th also)
D) 3,7,11 (Tamil scriptures especially)
E) 3,7,10 (Similar to Saturn's aspect)
Note : There are also some beliefs that Rahu alone aspects and Ketu does not aspect. Also since Rahu and Ketu are generally believed to be one and the same and always 180 degrees apart, 7th aspect is not considered.

Rahu/Ketu Own House:
A) Rahu Aquarius, Ketu Scorpio (Most popular view)
B) Rahu Virgo, Ketu Pisces (Supported by few texts)
C) Rahu Aquarius, Ketu Aries (Based on Saturn and Mars Mooltrikona placement)
D) Rahu Capricorn, Ketu Cancer (Apparently in few Tamil texts)
E) Rahu and Ketu both don't own any houses (Believed to be just nodal points and hence considered not to have any ownership)

Rahu/Ketu Mool Trikona Sign:
A) Rahu Virgo Ketu Pisces (Most popular view)
B) Rahu Gemini Ketu Sagittarius (Supported by a Parashara Hora version)
C) Rahu Aquarius Ketu Aries (Shanivat Rahu Kujavat Ketu hence follows similar to Saturn & Mars)
D) Rahu and Ketu both don't a Mool Trikona sign (This is based on the inference that they don't rule any of the signs in the zodiac)

Rahu/Ketu Exaltation and Debilitation:
A) Rahu Exalted in Taurus and Debilitated in Scorpio, Ketu Exalted in Scorpio and Debilitated in Taurus (Most popular view)
B) Rahu Exalted in Gemini and Debilitated in Sagittarius, Ketu Exalted in Sagittarius and Debilitated in Gemini (Another popular view supported especially in Jaimini)
C) Rahu Exalted in Virgo and Debilitated in Pisces, Ketu Exalted in Pisces and Debilitated in Virgo (Not very popular but believed as another view)
D) Rahu Exalted in Scorpio and Debilitated in Taurus, Ketu Exalted in Taurus and Debilitated in Scorpio (Not popular but this view is based on the headless theory as they are believed to exert full influence on the opposite house from which they are placed)
E) Rahu and Ketu both are Exalted in Scorpio (opposite of Moon exaltation sign Taurus) and both are Debilitated in Taurus (Moon exaltation sign)
F) Rahu and Ketu both don't have exaltation and debilitation signs. Result depends on their despositors.

Ascertaining Gulika and Mandi in Horoscope

Before getting into the computation of these 2 Saturnian Upagrahas Gulika and Mandi, it is good to know a few basics. There are 7 weekdays beginning from Sunday and ending with Saturday. Each of these weekdays are further divided into 2 halves viz Day time (Sunrise) and Night time (Sunset). The day time and night time portion get further sub divided into 8 equal parts and each of these 8 parts are ruled by 7 planets and the remaining part is governed by Rahu.

The order of day time starts from the ruling planet of the particular weekday. For eg if it's a Sunday first part is always given to Sun since it lords Sunday and the second part is Moon, third is Mars, fourth Mercury, fifth Jupiter, sixth Venus, seventh Saturn and 8th portion will be blank and given to Rahu. For night time, the first part happens to be ruled by the 5th planet from the lord of the weekday. Taking same Sunday as eg, night time starts from the 5th planet of the lord of the weekday which in this case is Jupiter followed by Venus, then Saturn, blank (Rahu) followed by Sun, Moon, Mars and Mercury respectively.

Computation of Gulika and Mandi in a Horoscope Chart:

1) Ascertain whether a person was born during day time (sun rise to sun set) or during night time (sun set to next day sun rise)

2) If day time born, note the sun rise and sun set time of the day and if born in night time, note the sun set time and next day sun rise time.

3) Next check the week day in which the native was born which could be any day between Sunday to Saturday.

4) See the portion ruled by Saturn which will be one among 8 equal parts (Saturn never rules 8th part)

Sunday - Day Time 7th part, Night Time 3rd part

Monday - Day Time 6th part, Night Time 2nd part

Tuesday - Day Time 5th part, Night Time 1st part

Wednesday - Day Time 4th part, Night Time 7th part 

Thursday - Day Time 3rd part, Night Time 6th part

Friday - Day Time 2nd part, Night Time 5th part

Saturday - Day Time 1st part, Night Time 4th part

5) Figure out the time frame period ruled by Saturn which will be an average approx 90 minute time period.

6) Mark the start time, middle time and end time of this time slot ruled by Saturn.

7) Cast the horoscope for all these 3 time slots and note where the Ascendant (Lagna) falls.

8) Gulika rises at the beginning of Saturn's portion and Mandi at the middle of Saturn's portion.

P.S : There are different opinions with regard to Gulika and Mandi. Some opine that they both are one and the same. Another belief is that they happen to be 2 different son's of Shani Devata (Planet Saturn). Also, opinions are divided on when Gulika and Mandi rise and there are varied views supporting beginning, middle and end point of Saturn's ruling time period.

Illustration 1 : Day time birth

Native born on Sep 13th 2018 in Chennai, India at 9.30 AM. Find position of Gulika and Mandi

1) Person born time : Day time

2) Since day time born : Sun rise time 6:01 AM and Sun set time 6:08 PM

3) Check weekday : Thursday

4) Part ruled by Saturn : 3rd part

5) Figure time period ruled by Saturn : 9:10 AM to 10:41 AM

6) Mark start time, middle time and end time : Start time 9:10 AM, Middle time 9:56 AM, End time 10:41 AM

7) Check Ascendant for all three times : Start time - Libra 12 degrees, Middle time - Libra 23 degrees, End time - Scorpio 3 degrees

8) Establish Gulika and Mandi position : Gulika in Libra 12 degrees and Mandi in Libra 23 degrees

Computation Notes:

Time between sun rise to sun set = 12 hours and 7 mins = 727 Mins

Divide 727 into 8 parts = 90.875 mins rounded to 91 mins per part

Time of Saturn is 3rd part and computed as below;

First part = 6:08 AM + 91 MINS = 7:39 AM

Second part = 7:39 AM + 91 MINS = 9:10 AM

Third part = 9:10 AM + 91 MINS = 10:41 AM

Alternatively since we know 3rd part is end of 2nd part to end of 3rd part, start point is 6:08 AM + 182 mins (91 mins * 2 parts) = 9:10 AM and end point is 6:08 AM + 273 mins (91 mins * 3 parts) = 10:41 AM.

Start time = 9:10 AM

End time = 10:41 AM

Middle time = Start time 9:10 AM + 46 mins (Part of 91 mins divided by 2 = 45.5 rounded to 46) = 9:56 AM or End time 10:41 AM - 45 mins = 9:56 AM

Illustration 2 : Night time birth

Native born on Sep 11th 2018 in Bangalore, India at 8.45 PM. Find position of Gulika and Mandi

1) Person born time : Night time

2) Since night time born : Sun set time 6:20 PM and next day Sun rise time 6:12 AM

3) Check weekday : Tuesday

4) Part ruled by Saturn : 1st part

5) Figure time period ruled by Saturn : 6:20 PM to 7:49 PM

6) Mark start time, middle time and end time : Start time 6:20 PM, Middle time 7:05 PM, End time 7:49 PM

7) Check Ascendant for all three times : Start time - Aquarius 24 degrees, Middle time - Pisces 8 degrees, End time - Pisces 21 degrees

8) Establish Gulika and Mandi position : Gulika in Aquarius 24 degrees and Mandi in Pisces 8 degrees

Computation Notes:

Time between sun set to sun rise = 11 hours and 52 mins = 712 Mins

Divide 712 into 8 parts = 89 mins per part

Time of Saturn is 1st part and computed as below

First part = 6:20 PM + 89 MINS = 7:49 PM

Start time = 6:20 PM

End time = 7:49 PM

Middle time = Start time 6:20 PM + 45 mins (Part of 89 mins divided by 2 = 44.5 rounded to 45) = 7:05 PM or End time 7:49 PM - 44 mins = 7:05 PM

Note: It should be noted from this that at no point exact time of birth is taken for computation of Gulika and Mandi. In essence, any person born on a particular day and place at whatever time but within the day time portion or night time portion will end up having Gulika and Mandi in the same position in the horoscope chart.

Also, for Mandi computation, the classics opine a method based on Ghatika's (1 Ghatika=24 minutes) elapsed from sun rise/sun set time to arrive at the Mandi time for which the corresponding Lagna degree should be ascertained. This method will tally almost exactly to what has been computed above. The order given is as above:

Sunday - 26 Ghatikas after sun rise, 10 Ghatikas after sun set

Monday - 22 Ghatikas after sun rise, 6 Ghatikas after sun set

Tuesday - 18 Ghatikas after sun rise, 2 Ghatikas after sun set

Wednesday - 14 Ghatikas after sun rise, 26 Ghatikas after sun set

Thursday - 10 Ghatikas after sun rise, 22 Ghatikas after sun set

Friday - 6 Ghatikas after sun rise, 18 Ghatikas after sun set

Saturday - 2 Ghatikas after sun rise, 14 Ghatikas after sun set

Explaining this method with the same illustrations as listed earlier, for Illustration 1 we find that for day birth Thursday, Mandi is 10 Ghatikas after Sun rise. 10 Ghatikas = 240 minutes (10 Ghatika*24 minutes per Ghatika). Sun rise time is 6:01 AM. Adding 240 minutes to it, we get 10:01 AM which will fall in around 23-24 degrees of Libra similar to what we have witnessed above. In Illustration 2, for night birth Tuesday, Mandi happens to be 2 Ghatikas after Sun set. 2 Ghatikas = 48 minutes (2 Ghatika*24 minutes per Ghatika). Sun set time is 6:20 PM. Adding 48 minutes to it, we get 7:08 PM which will fall around 8 degrees in Pisces as seen above as well.

This working is only for Mandi and does not hold good for Gulika unless of course they both are reckoned as one and the same. Whether we employ the method 1 or method 2, the most sensitive point happens to be at the mid point of time frame ruled by Saturn or the respective end Ghatika time marked after Sun rise or Sun set as the case maybe. 

Inauspicious Time Period Computation!

Many of us would have been alerted about un-favourable time periods during a day and not to perform any auspicious activities during these time periods. The time frames commonly highlighted happen to be the Yama Ghanta, Gulika Kaala and Rahu Kaala. All these stem from the panchang and attributed to specific planets assigned.

The Panchang element that needs to be seen is the 'Vara'. The Vara is basically the solar day transiting which starts at sun rise time and ends when the next day sun rise commences. There are 7 Vara's obtained from the 7 week days and each of them are represented by a particular planet as seen below:
Sunday - Sun
Monday - Moon
Tuesday - Mars
Wednesday - Mercury
Thursday - Jupiter
Friday - Venus
Saturday - Saturn

Now, every day of week comprises of two parts viz sun rise (day time) and sun set (night time). It is generally presumed that most important activities take place only during the day and hence only sun rise viz day time portion is considered for computing inauspicious time period.

Hence let us take the sun rise portion of the day which runs from when the sun rises till the time it begins to set. This portion is divided into 8 equal parts and it is believed that one of the parts is headless. Remember there are 7 weekdays and 8 parts, hence 7 of these parts will be assigned to a particular planet with the 8th given to Rahu.

The order starts from the ruling planet of the particular Vara (weekday). For eg if it's a Sunday first part is always given to Sun since it lords Sunday and the second part is Moon, third is Mars, fourth Mercury, fifth Jupiter, sixth Venus, seventh Saturn and 8th portion will be blank and given to Rahu. In case it's a Thursday it starts from Jupiter, second part will be Venus, third will be Saturn and 4th will be Rahu. 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th will be Sun, Moon, Mars and Mercury respectively.

One disclaimer I would like to mention here is that it is generally presumed in most panchangs and calendars that sun rise always starts at 6 AM and the sun set begins at 6 PM. Hence the day time comprises of 12 hours divided into 8 parts with each part occupying a space of 1 hour and 30 minutes (1.5 hours). But in reality in many places sun rise can be much later or earlier causing the calculations to go for a toss.

However for convenience sake, the respective times of Yama Ghanta, Gulika Kaala and Rahu Kaal is explained with reference to the sun rise day time comprising of 12 hours in the range of 6 AM to 6 PM.

Yama Ghanta:
This is represented by planet Jupiter. For every day of the week, check the part that is owned by Jupiter and this will be the time frame occupied by Yama Ghanta. For eg on Wednesday Jupiter rules the 2nd part from 7.30 AM to 9 AM and that is the Yama Ghanta time and likewise on Friday it'll be 4.30 PM to 6 PM which is the time represented by Jupiter. For easy reference, all of the Yama Ghanta time parts owned by Jupiter is coloured in Yellow in order to quickly spot it. Also some food for thought, if you closely check Jupiter rules all parts in different days except for the 6th part from 1.30 PM to 3 PM.

Gulika Kaala:
This is represented by planet Saturn. For every day of the week, check the part that is owned by Saturn and this will be the time frame occupied by Gulika. For eg on Thursday Saturn rules the 3rd part from 9 AM to 10.30 AM and that is the Gulika time and likewise on Saturday it'll be 6 AM to 7.30 AM which is the time represented by Saturn. For easy reference, all of the Gulika time parts owned by Saturn is coloured in Blue for quick navigation. Also like Jupiter, Saturn rules all parts except for the 8th part spanning from 4.30 PM to 6 PM.

P.S : For horoscope purposes, even sunset time will be taken and this also has a say in determining as to where Gulika will be placed in the vedic rasi chart.

Rahu Kaala:
This is represented by planet Rahu but the computation differs. Here time slots are put forth for each day of the week and Rahu Kaala is obtained based on the same. It must be remembered however that the first part of the day can never be Rahu Kaala. Also in addition to Rahu, other planets such as Sun, Moon and Mars also have a say in determining the Rahu kaal portion. They are marked in Red in the table to quickly catch attention. Listed below are the time parts assigned for Rahu Kaala in each of the days.
Day 1 Sunday - 8th part - Rahu
Day 2 Monday - 2nd part - Mars
Day 3 Tuesday - 7th part - Sun
Day 4 Wednesday - 5th part - Rahu
Day 5 Thursday - 6th part - Moon
Day 6 Friday - 4th part - Sun
Day 7 Saturday 3rd part - Sun

Colour Code:
YAMA GHANTA - YELLOW - JUPITER
GULIKA KAALA - BLUE - SATURN
RAHU KAALA - RED - RAHU, SUN, MOON, MARS

Note: You might be wondering as to why other planets also come into the equation when deducing Rahu Kaala. This is because Rahu Kaala is propounded based on the theory of ultraviolet rays falling on earth during specific time intervals on each day of every weekday which is considered to be highly inauspicious. This also ends up scrambling the usual week day order and hence you find other planets also coming in the fray when figuring out the Rahu Kaala time period. This can however be avoided if the Kaala order is followed which is practised especially in Kerala. Here planets are assigned numbers and they follow the same order with the first part beginning from the weekday lord. The order given is as below:
Sun - 1
Mars - 2
Jupiter - 3
Mercury - 4
Venus - 5
Saturn - 6
Moon - 7
Rahu - 8

Adopting this order based on the running weekday, you'll always end up with Rahu falling in the 8th part if it's a Sunday, 2nd if Monday, 7th if Tuesday, 5th if Wednesday, 6th if Thursday, 4th if Friday and 3rd if it's Saturday. However I wouldn't advise to follow this order as this methodology can get jumbled and would not work when finding out Yama Ghanta and Gulika Kaala. However it would make sense to just remember the number coding 8275643 as each of the digits signify the parts during which Rahu Kaala takes place from Sunday to Saturday.

Do you know your Panchanga Planet Lord?

All you have to know in order to know the planets ruling your Panchanga viz the 5 limbs of time are the following;

i) The Day of your birth
ii) The Nakshatra (star) of your moon at birth
iii) The degrees of Sun and Moon during birth

P.S : The zodiac spans 360 degrees and is divided into 12 equal signs of 30 degrees each. It starts at Aries (Mesha) and ends at Pisces (Meena). For eg if you're Sun is at 12 degrees in Cancer, you need to take the degrees as 102 since Cancer is the 4th sign and there have been 3 signs of 30 degrees which is 90 plus 12 degrees in Cancer. Similarly, say your Moon is in Libra at 15 degrees, you need to consider it as 195 degrees since Libra is the 7th sign and 6 signs have passed making a total of 30*6=180 plus 15 degrees in Libra.

I have made a ready reckoner which will enable you to find which of the planets are ruling your 5 panchanga elements viz Vara, Nakshatra, Tithi, Karana and Yoga. Some softwares do provide the data but nothing like knowing it on your own which can be pretty useful.

1) Vara:
This is the solar day transiting during your birth which in essence is the day you were born.
Total Varas : 7
Total Duration : Sun rise start time till next day sun rise start time
Total Planets : 7 (Rahu and Ketu are excluded)
Connection : Sun
Information : Please note that the vedic weekday starts from sun rise time and ends when the next day sun rise starts. For instance if one were born at 2:15 AM on the English Day of Tuesday and the sun rise started at 6:35AM on Monday and next day sun rise was at 6:40 AM on Tuesday, Vara day will be Monday ruled by Moon and not Tuesday ruled by Mars.

Illustration: Native born at 4.20 PM on a Thursday. The Day Thursday is ruled by Jupiter and hence your Vara Lord happens to be Jupiter.

2) Nakshatra:
This reflects the transit of moon during your birth which is basically the constellation of stars that were rising when you were born.
Total Nakshatras : 27
Total Duration : 13 degrees 20 minutes (360 degree zodiac divided by 27 Nakshatras)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Moon
Information : There are 27 stars divided into trines of 9 each which are represented by a particular planet. Eg Star No. 1, 10 and 19 are Ketu stars whereas 2,11 and 20 are Venus stars. Each star basically comprises of 13 degrees 20 minutes which is 360 degrees divided by 27 Nakshatras.

Illustration: Native is born on Hastha star, hence Nakshatra lord is Moon. Likewise if a native was born during the constellation of Revathi, then the Nakshatra Lord happens to be Mercury.

3) Tithi:
The zodiac is divided into 360 degrees and every 12 degrees of angular distance at which the moon moves away from the sun is considered as a Tithi.
Total Tithis : 30
Total Duration : 12 degrees (360 degree zodiac divided by 30 Tithis)
Total Planets : 8 (Rahu included but Ketu excluded)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 30 tithis (360 degrees divided by 12). The Tithis are split up into 2 parts of 15 each based on the brighter half (Sukla - Waxing) and darker half (Krishna - Waning) of the moon. The planet ruling the brighter half Sukla or darker half Krishna will remain the same for all except for Purnima which is ruled by Saturn and Amma Vasya lorded by Rahu.

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Leo at 20 degrees and Moon is in Capricorn at 12 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degrees zodiac is 140 (30*4 signs from Aries to Cancer + 20 degrees in Leo) and degrees of Moon is 282 (30*9 signs from Aries to Sagittarius + 12 degrees in Capricorn). The degrees of which Moon has passed Sun = 142 (282 less 140) which becomes Sukla Dwadashi Tithi ruled by Moon. In case there is a role reversal and Sun is at 282 degrees and Moon is at 140 degrees, then distance is 218 degrees (360 less 282 of Sun=78 plus 140 degrees of Moon) which happens to be Krishna Chaturthi Tithi also ruled by Moon. Always remember base point is Sun (slower planet) and we need to check how many degrees Moon (faster planet) has gone beyond Sun

4) Karana:
The zodiac is divided into 360 degrees and every 6 degrees of angular distance at which the moon moves away from the sun is referred to as a Karana. In essence, half of a Tithi constitutes a Karana.
Total Karanas : 60 comprising of 11 sub divisions
Total Duration : 6 degrees (360 degree zodiac divided by 60 Karanas)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 60 karanas (360 divided by 6) but classified under 11 categories with 7 of the Karanas being movable and repeating itself 8 times (56 = 7*8) and the other 4 karanas being fixed (4).

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Virgo at 24 degrees and Moon in Scorpio at 21 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degrees zodiac is 174 (30*5 signs from Aries to Leo + 24 degrees in Virgo) and degrees of Moon is 231 (30*7 signs from Aries to Libra + 21 degrees in Scorpio). The degrees of Moon passing the Sun = 57 (231 less 174) which happens to be Balava Karana ruled by Rahu. In case let's say Sun is at 209 degrees and Moon at 194 degrees, then distance is 345 degrees (360 less 209 of Sun=151 plus 194 degrees of Moon) which happens to be Shakuni Karana ruled by Saturn. The computation is similar to Tithi and we need to know how many degrees moon has gone past the Sun.

5) Yoga:
This takes the combined sum of degrees of Sun + Moon and each total amounting to 13 degrees 20 minutes comprises a Yoga.
Total Yogas : 27
Total Duration : 13 degrees 20 minutes (360 degree zodiac divided by 27 Yogas)
Total Planets : 9 (Rahu and Ketu included)
Connection : Sun & Moon
Information : There are a total of 27 yogas split into 3 parts of 9 each which are ruled by a particular planet. It is computed based on the total longitude of the Sun and Moon with reference point as 360. If the addition of Sun's degree and Moon's degree go beyond 360, then the extra portion above 360 needs to be considered. For eg. Sun + Moon combined degrees lets say comes to 418 degrees, then in this case the extra portion of 58 (418 less 360) will be the degree of Yoga.

Illustration: Native's Sun is in Taurus at 27 degrees and Moon in Gemini at 12 degrees. Total degrees of Sun as per 360 degree zodiac is 57 (30*1 sign Aries + 27 degrees in Taurus) and degrees of Moon is 72 (30*2 signs from Aries to Taurus plus 12 degrees in Gemini). The total sum comes up to 129 (57+72). This will give rise to Ganda Yoga ruled by Saturn. Another eg, lets say Sun is 324 degrees and Moon is 358 degrees. Here adding the two yields 682 (324+358) which is more than 360. Hence the extra portion needs to be taken which is 322 (682 less 360) and that happens to be Brahma Yoga whose planetary lord is Mars.

Zodiac Sun Signs Misrepresented!

World over, people follow the sun sign dates blindly based on a template format which has been permeated since times immemorial. People even use this as a tool for starting communications and feverishly check newspapers and bulletins to see if the traits mentioned are matching their personality. Not only this, even memes are depicted and categorizations are made about people belonging to different sun signs such as which zodiacs reflect the best lover, depiction of signs getting drunk the most, weird quotient et al.

All this is fine if you are clear about the dates belonging to a particular sun sign. This is where the trouble lies as almost 80–90% of the time, the sun sign which you actually thought to be could be actually wrong. The real sun sign date is off by about 24 days from what you have been wondering all this while. Let me explain it with this diagrammatic date representation.

This may appear to be a simple thing but I feel most people get confused about these dates and hence I felt it's good to clarify in a lucid manner without going too much into the specifics. There is a lot of misinterpretation with regard to dates between Western and Vedic. It's different between tropical zodiac and sidereal zodiac and the western system follows the former but whereas the Vedic way of doing a horoscope chart adopts the latter. The difference between the two accounts to about 24 degrees. (22 to 24 based on ayanamsa) The tropical is always forward. For instance if you're 20 degrees Gemini Ascendant in sidereal chart, you're most likely to be 14 degrees Cancer (20 plus 24) in the Tropical chart.

For eg, if you were born on lets say May 8th, you would have all this while thought that you were a Taurus sun-sign, but as per Vedic you belong to the Aries zodiac. However if you were born on May 18th, you’ll still be a Taurus. There is an overlapping of almost a month between the tropical and sidereal date frame which is quite a reality check. There could be a slight difference on the cusp ie based on whether you were born on the 14th or 15th based on the timing of rising of the sun, but mostly the list works like a charm. If you know this simple funda, the confusion is less likely to occur.